


Night City Aliens: The Wandering Planet

by TheGhastlyMan



Category: Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game), Wander Over Yonder (Cartoon)
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Organized Crime, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:34:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28621122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGhastlyMan/pseuds/TheGhastlyMan
Summary: After the events of "The End of the Galaxy", Lord Dominator comes across a new planet. A planet where only the strong survive and the locals play for keeps.Dominator will do her best to adapt and forge a new identity. Assuming she can survive crime lords, militant oligarchs, and an impending alien invasion.Will most likely change the rating to Mature in the near future
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	1. The Unknown World

Maybe she should have taken the fuzz ball's offer. Yea, they were all sappy dorks, but at least she wouldn't be dying on the edge of the galaxy.

Lord Dominator had spent the last two-ish days in her little bubble wandering around, groveling to herself. At least she thought it was two days. The green woman had lost any semblance of time a while ago, not long after she ate what little food she had. Now all Dominator could do was lay there, watching the dead planets drift by. Her species couldn't survive more than three days without some sort of hydration. It wouldn't be long till the weakness finally got to her and she succumbed to the cold grip of death. The villain let out a small chuckle at the irony. She was lost and left to shrivel, just like all the worlds she destroyed.

After dominating so many planets and sucking them dry, it was only a matter of time before someone that posed an actual challenge stood up to her and took her out. While she would have never guessed that person would have been a total loser like Hater, she knew it was inevitable. And she was okay with that. It was only natural that a super villain such as herself would go out in an epic battle, a blaze of glory.

BUT NO! That annoying orange twerp just had to save her! He was so insistent on being "a good person" and "becoming her friend" that he saved her from her exploding ship. And now she wasn't going to get her blaze of glory. She was going to die a slow death, alone and pathetic.

Small tears started to flow down Dominator's face, washing away soot and old makeup. It wasn't fair, having to die like this. She had taken out the galaxy. She was the ultimate villain! She deserved a better death! Dominator wanted to scream, but all that came out was a soft whimper. Angry and confused, the woman continued to cry until she eventually drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Dominator didn't know how long she was unconscious, as she had not expected to wake up again. However, the blinding light wouldn't allow her to remain asleep, and the green woman slowly came to. She started with a check of her limbs to make sure she wasn't dead. For all she knew, those stories about a light at the end of a tunnel were true. But the dryness on her tongue and the ache in her tired joints told her she was still very much alive. She was also in the bubble, if the stale air was any indication.

Rubbing the drowsiness from her eyes, Dominator struggled to stand upright and take in her surroundings. The bright light turned out to be a star. It was an unremarkable, medium in size, yellow orb. Glancing around, she saw a couple planets nearby, but they looked just as lame as the star. But for whatever reason, Dominator couldn't stop staring at one of these planets. It was a little blue marble in the distance with some brown smudges. The side facing away from the star was a bit more impressive as the dark was illuminated by tiny glowing dots.

Dominator continued to stare at the lousy, little ball for a few more moments as her brain struggled to form a coherent thought. It was just another world like the millions she had dominated. What made this place so special?

Lord Dominator took in a sharp breath as she finally realized what she was looking at.

"What the grop?! Where did this place come from?" Dominator said. She was starting to question her sanity, as she couldn't remember ever seeing this system pop up in her scans. Was she hallucinating, or was she actually dead? A million questions ran through her head, but were all cut off by the loud growling in her stomach.

"This planet better have something edible."

With a great deal of effort, Dominator used the little energy she had left to redirect her bubble to the tiny, blue marble in a last ditch effort to survive.

* * *

By some miracle, Dominator was able to dodge landing in the middle of the ocean. Instead, she found herself just to the east of a coastal city.

With a quiet "pop", the bubble disappeared, leaving Dominator to flop unceremoniously on the ground. The first thing she noticed was the harsh stench of salt, dust, and trash in the air. The second was the chill of the desert night. Dominator hated the cold, but she was more concerned with finding some clean water at the moment. Slowly but steadily, the villain climbed to her feet and began walking towards the city, a shining beacon in the distance.

Dominator's agonizing march through the desert shrubs and rocky hills came to a halt. Before her, the ground changed to what she could only assume was a road. The brown dust gave way to black slate riddled with cracks, most likely from age. It stretched on to the north towards a range of small mountains on the horizon. To the south, the road ran to a group of buildings. Unlike the illuminated skyscrapers in the distance, these were dark and deserted. They were also Dominator's best chance, as she wasn't sure if she had the energy to make it to the city.

Following the old road, the villain past several boarded up houses. A week ago, she would have ignored such places. Lord Dominator thought of ghost towns as little more than symbols of failure. All the more reason to exterminate the dweebs. But now she was on the same level as them, and the green woman couldn't help but wonder what this little town was like in its heyday.

It wasn't long before the road ended at what appeared to be a major intersection. A new road ran west to the city and east into the desert. Looking around, Dominator assumed that she was standing at what was once the town center. The buildings here were larger than the houses and in slightly better condition. One of them looked like some sort of vehicular service station, and it had a faded picture of a humanoid creature eating… something, on the window.

Attempting to enter this building proved more difficult than Dominator had hoped. The front door was chained shut and there were no other obvious points of entry. Grabbing a fist sized rock off the ground; Dominator chucked it at the large, front-facing window. Normally, such an act would lead to the window shattering into a million tiny pieces. Dominator, however, was severely weakened from hunger and dehydration. The rock bounced off the window with a hard 'thunk', leaving only a small crack. Sighing, she picked up the rock and tried again. After the fourth throw, the window finally broke open.

Dominator climbed through the new opening, being careful not to cut herself on the remaining glass. The inside was dark and dusty. The shelves were bare, covered only in a light layer of dirt. Any machinery had long been removed, loose wires being the only sign they were ever there. Along the back wall was a line of glass doors, showing off what she assumed were once refrigerated compartments. Unfortunately, the compartments were also empty. Dominator did noticed an area behind the compartments, which she assumed was some sort of storage. It didn't take her long to find the door to this area.

The back area was even darker, to the point that Dominator struggled to see her own hand in front of her face. Feeling around, she found a series of metal shelves that were surprisingly cold to the touch. Brushing her hand across the surfaces, she worked her way down to the far end and back. She went one level at a time, hoping to feel something. Anything that could keep her alive for just one more day. She was about to give up hope when she found a box shoved into the back corner.

"Oh, thank crop," she whispered, lifting the box up. It had a fair amount of weight, but she still picked it up with ease. The sloshing inside made her all the more excited and she rushed back to the front area to examine her find.

With only the glow of the distant city to help, Dominator placed the box on the front area to examine. The outer labeling was mostly faded, and what little she could make out was in an alien language she didn't recognize. The box itself was made of a stiff, paper-like material the she easily ripped open. Emptying its contents, she counted twenty metal containers. They all had the same labeling as the box and each sounded like it was filled with liquid. The only question was how to open them. She didn't have a can opener, and she didn't think she could safely rip it open without spilling the liquid everywhere. She turned the can in her hands for several minutes before she figured out the tab on top was a separate piece. Flicking it a few times, Dominator tried to pull the tab off. The can gave off a "crack", and let out a spray of foam and liquid.

"Aah!" Dominator cried out in surprise, dropping the can. Sighing, she whipped off her face and picked the can back up. The tab was now sticking up and a clean cut hole was in the can's top.

"Pre-installed can opener. Neat."

Taking a sip of what little liquid remained in the can, Dominator studied the flavor. She struggled to wrap her head around what she assumed was a strange type of soda. It tasted like bitter water, but was bubbly like a soda. There was also a metallic aftertaste, which she chalked up to it coming in a metal can instead of a bottle like all other sodas in the galaxy. Whatever it was, it was drinkable. Dominator finished off three full cans before letting out a loud belch. There was still the dull ache of hunger in her stomach, but she would survive another couple of days.

After going outside to relieve her bladder, Dominator was once again overcome with the need to rest. Crawling behind the station's counter area, she did her best to fashion the paper box into a pillow and drifted off.

* * *

Dominator was woken up by a low, mechanical rumble. She rubbed her eyes, her starved brain once again struggling to process new information. The rumbling stopped, and the quite was soon filled with footsteps and voices.

Dominator's eyes shot open, her body switching into full gear at the thought of no longer being alone. She made her way over to the window, being as silent as the glass riddled floor would allow her.

Peering outside, she saw a vehicle parked next to her building and the silhouettes of four humanoids against a dark sky. Three of the figures were holding some weird looking blasters, and appeared to be laughing at the expense of the fourth, unarmed figure. Although Dominator couldn't understand the language, she had a pretty good guess at what was happening. The unarmed figure was being punished for something, as his sad tone suggested he was begging the others for forgiveness. To her surprise, they were letting him go. The one in the middle, probably the leader, waved the unarmed figure away. Probably just as surprised as her, the unarmed humanoid hesitated before breaking into a mad dash to the city. Before anyone could react, the leader raised his blaster and used it.

A loud bang rang out through the desert and the fleeing humanoid lost part of his head. Dominator watched the body fall to the ground as a wave of emotions rushed over her. As the shock of what she witnessed faded, it was replaced by realization and fear. While she was no stranger to murder, nowhere in the galaxy was it known to happen so barbarically. So deceitfully. So intimately. How common were such acts on this planet? How long could she honestly expect to survive if she had to worry about being the next victim of an execution?

Despite all these thoughts, there was a small glimmer of glee in the back off her mind.

Dominator grabbed the rock she used to bust the window, and went back to watching the three humanoids. They dragged the fresh corpse closer to the intersection and poured some liquid from a red jug on it. Stepping back, they lit it on fire. Within seconds, the corpse was completely engulfed in flames. Dominator stared into the fire, complete enamored by its glow. Memories of her ship filled her mind. How her fortress glowed with molten warmth; how it acted as an extension of her will. She was so engulfed in her nostalgia that she failed to notice the three murderers making their way back to their vehicle. Another loud bang rang out, this time accompanied by the glass still in the window exploding inwards.

"Oh, grop! Oh, grop!" Dominator cursed herself for zoning out. Diving out of view, she prepared herself for what was sure to be a fight to the death.

A third shot broke one of the display doors in the back. Then it was quiet for a tense minute. One of the humanoids called out, probably hoping to coax Dominator out into the open. But she knew better than to try communicating with bandits like these. Whenever she pulled that trick, she made quick work of whoever was dumb enough to fall for it. Instead, she stayed low and grabbed a large piece of broken glass. It wasn't much, but an improvised dagger and a rock were better than just the rock.

Dominator heard footsteps approaching as she moved into the dark corners of the abandoned shop. She watched one of the humanoids peer inside before climbing though the window. They slowly explored the building, but had no hope of spotting her without a light source. They got close, but turned away and left themselves open.

In one smooth, premeditated motion, Dominator attacked the bandit. Fueled by adrenaline, she swung the rock into their head to stun them. Before they could get their bearings, she pushed the humanoid to the ground and began stabbing wildly with her glass knife. They screamed in pain, but were silenced when Dominator went for the throat. Covered in blood, she steadied herself and took the bandit's small blaster. It was unusually blocky compared to galactic blasters, but fit in her hand just as well.

Sneaking back into the shadows, she turned her attention to the other two bandits. They had already come inside and were fast moving in her direction. Like before, Dominator was practically invisible without any light. They didn't notice till they were right on top of her, at which point it was too late. One of the bandits found their ally bleeding out and called out, only to be shot in the head by Dominator. The last humanoid was quick to react, and started spraying shots at her. She dropped down out of sight, but still took a hit to the shoulder.

Ignoring the wound, Dominator grabbed her rock and made a blind throw in the bandit's general direction. Her gamble paid off. When she popped back up, the humanoid had taken cover from her fake grenade. Dominator rushed to get closer, as she couldn't afford to waste shots from a distance. When there was no explosion, the bandit turned to continue shooting, but Dominator beat him to it and unloaded her blaster. One, two, three, four, five shots went into the assailant's chest.

Standing over the bandit, Dominator continued to pull the trigger despite it no longer firing. When the dying bandit made a move for their blaster, she kicked it out of their hands and proceeded to stomp their face in. Dominator continued to stomp, screaming out her anger and frustrations until her shoes were drenched in brains and guts.

As the adrenaline began to wear off and the ringing in her ears faded, Dominator found herself staring out at the city once again. The sky was slowly becoming brighter from the approaching dawn. The only sound to be heard was her labored breathing. Her attention was drawn to her left shoulder, where the dull ache was turning into a fierce burning. She felt the small hole in her skin and pulled away, hissing at the piecing sting. Leaning against the counter, Dominator looked at her palm. She was strangely enamored by her emerald green blood and how it contrasted with the deep red blood that covered her limbs.

As the inside of the station grew brighter, Dominator stared at the humanoids she killed. She was once Lord Dominator. She had destroyed millions of worlds in the name of being the greatest. She had murdered trillions upon trillions of sentient life forms before today. But not like this. She had never stabbed a person to death. She had never stomped a person's head in till they're face was unrecognizable mush.

This was barbaric. This was pure savagery. This was killing made intimate.

Dominator smiled. And then she started to laugh. She laughed with a sick satisfaction she had not felt in years. With her good arm, she opened one of her weird, bitter sodas and took a sip.

"I think I'm going to like it here."


	2. "Let me help you"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not know Spanish. In fact, I failed Spanish class in high school. Any Spanish going forward I either took from the game, or looked up myself.

When Lord Dominator was a child, her teacher made her do these stupid lists about where she saw herself in ten years. She usually said something along the lines of world domination or galactic conquest. Salvaging supplies off freshly murdered corpses never made the list. Yet here she was. The murdering was fun, but trying to clean up afterwards was grotesque. At least she could say it was educational.

These humanoids were unusual creatures. On the one hand, they appeared disturbingly similar to Dominator. While their skin seemed to vary in shades of red-orange as opposed to green, their overall proportions and silhouettes were almost exactly like her own. Slightly smaller eyes, larger nose, short ears that were rounded instead of pointy. These were all things that Dominator could easily hide to blend in easier. It was also nice to know she could rely on good old fashion sex appeal, as her breast were much fuller than those of the one female she shot in the head. She just hoped finding a bra in her size wasn't too difficult.

The opposite extremes made Dominator straight up bewildered. The most noticeable difference between the locals and herself, of course, was her skin and blood. If she had to guess, the locals had more iron in their bodies and little to no sulfur, while she was the opposite. Iron was by no means harmful to her, but getting enough sulfur oxide could prove challenging. There was also the fact that the locals had five digits per hand, which was almost unheard of. Most sentient life forms had three or four digits, as evolution tended to find any more than that unnecessary.

And the weirdest thing of all was the circuitry. While examining the bodies, Dominator couldn't help but notice the metal implants they had. At first she thought they were prosthetics or maybe some kind of reinforcement for extreme conditions. But then she noticed that their eyes were metal and she found broken computer chips in the now faceless man's skull cavity.

He put a computer. _In his brain._

That's when she noticed the ports and wires on the other two bodies. They all computerized their bodies.

"What the actual grop?" Dominator whispered, suddenly finding this planet much less appealing. In all her years of travel and super villainy, she had never encountered anything like this. Why would you put a computer in your brain? Wearing a neurologic reader was the galactic standard for brain-computer interfaces. It always required some calibration, but it was reliable. She even had one in her battle suit. But these people went to the extreme, and seemed to put the reader _inside_ the brain.

Deciding to figure it out later, she moved on to weapons. One person had a combat knife, which was always useful. Another person had a blood-stained pipe. Dominator smirked at the idea of beating a person's skull in with random junk. She couldn't say it wasn't effective, but decided to keep just the knife.

Like many other things with these bandits, their blasters were just plain weird. Again, you had your standard affair of pistols and rifles, but they all used solid metal ammo. Either these bandits were incredibly stupid, or the humanoids of this planet had not yet developed energy based weaponry. Energy weapons were lighter, more efficient, easier to aim, and not super-duper loud.

"Oh boy. Now I have to worry about going deaf, too," Dominator moaned.

Dominator only took the pistol she had already used. It was simple enough to figure out without shooting herself on accident and the revolving chamber would be easy to reload. After swiping all the ammo, as well as the female's pants and holster for good measure, she went outside.

The morning sun filled Dominator with warmth and a hopeful spark. Life would probably be difficult until she found a way off planet. However, she could take solace in the face that she didn't have to worry about freezing to death. With a small smile, Dominator put on her new, slightly bloodied pants before checking out the bandits' ride.

Before her was a car like vehicle that was heavily armored. There were no windows. Instead, the windshield was just a metal sheet with some electronics fused to it. The old paint job had mostly rusted away and had been covered with colorful designs that resembled the local language. It was quickly apparent that operating the vehicle would require some sort of external computer input, most likely from the bandits' implants. She felt a slight tinge of disappointment, but it was no big deal. Figuring she could walk the rest of the way to the city, Dominator focused on finding supplies.

While the interior was an absolute mess, the rear compartment had a large supply box that was full and well organized. Inside were brightly colored packages that she quickly figured out was food, as well as four large bottles of water.

"Jackpot."

Pulling out more stuff out of the box, she found a square, metal case. It was painted white and silver with a red cross symbol on the top. Whatever was inside, Dominator figured it was important as opening the tin took five minutes to figure out. She couldn't make heads or tails of the stuff contained within. There were several different items, but only the bandages and stitching wire appeared familiar. She assumed that the rest were various trauma medications, but didn't dare try experimenting with them.

At the very bottom of the box was a thick roll of paper and four red sticks. Upon unrolling the paper, she found all the sheets were identical. Small rectangles covered with intricate designed on the front and back. And there were a lot of sheets. Dominator's first thought was that they were related to the computer implants somehow, but that didn't make any sense. Maybe it was a form of currency? Shrugging, she rerolled the slips.

The red sticks were much more of a puzzle to figure out. It was a weird thing to have in an emergency kit. What possible purpose could they serve? Thankfully, they had picture instructions on the side. Remove the cap, and strike it across the top to do… something. It took a few tries, but Dominator got the rod to spark, causing it to ignite.

"Aw, sweet!" she cheered as a flare of flame and smoke came out the end. Dominator put it against her hand to test the temperature. "More about light than heat, but it will work."

Acting fast, Dominator pulled the blaster round out of her shoulder. She did her best to ignore the pain, but that didn't stop her from screaming once it was dislodged. With the wound reopened, fresh blood started to gush out and down her arm. Desperate for relief, Dominator pressed the flame against her shoulder and let out a relaxed sigh.

"Oh yea, that's the spot." The flame didn't completely seal her wound, but it did stop the fresh bleeding. It was good enough to bandage, but would need time to heal fully.

With a full stomach and a clear path forward, Dominator only needed one last thing: a way to carry her winnings. It was a problem that took far longer to solve than she would ever care to admit. She scavenged through the local ruins in search of a backpack but found none. She did find a sack large enough for her supplies, and decided to make due. The sun was high in the smoggy blue sky by the time she had everything packed away. The heat was actually nice, but the trash stench was going to get to her eventually.

"Thanks for the free stuff, ya dorks!" Dominator waved at the building with the bandits. Her trademark grin had returned to her face. She let out a small laugh and considered the possibility of conquering this planet. It wasn't in her standard MO, but this place was full of too many possibilities to destroy. It would take a while, but she had her whole life ahead of her. Why rush?

Figuring she could decide later, Dominator flung her sack of goodies over her shoulder and set off.

* * *

The villain walked for a couple hours, occasionally sipping on a water bottle. Dominator only had one goal in mind, and that was to make it to the city. She wasn't sure what she would do once there, but she could always turn to a life a crime until she learned the local customs. She also needed to learn the local language and figure out where exactly in the galaxy she landed herself. Entire solar systems didn't just pop into existence, so there has to be some info on how this place went unnoticed for so long.

The road she was on seemed mostly deserted, with only the occasional vehicle driving by. Some were small cars, only capable of carrying a handful of people. Other vehicles where huge, dragging along large payloads. And much to Dominator's benefit, all of them ignored her.

The green woman was about halfway between the city and where she killed the bandits when she came across a pair of buildings. They were nearly identical, each with two levels and several doors. The entire place was painted orange, and the sign out front followed a similar color scheme. She had no idea what this place would be, but there were a couple locals wandering around and socializing. Dominator had no interest in meeting anyone, but she was hungry. Finding a bench off to the side, the green woman sat down and pulled some food out of her sack.

Munching on what tasted like a synthetic meat sandwich, Dominator did her best to observe the comings and goings of this business. It wasn't easy, as the humanoids were so incredibly boring. She saw a few groups come and go, packages changing hands, people getting drunk, but nothing exciting. Just mind numbingly mundane lives walking by.

She did spot one group in a circle, smoking on white sticks. Smoking: yet another practice almost unheard of in the larger galaxy. How bad were things in the city that self-preservation was ignored? Judging by all the litter on the ground, pretty flippin' bad. Maybe she would put this planet out of its misery after all.

Dominator continued to observe, until a she saw a man approach a flamboyantly dressed woman. They seemed to chat for a second before the woman led him into one of the doors. It was obvious that this woman was a prostitute, one of the very few jobs that were found on nearly every planet. Dominator tried not to show it, but she had always been disgusted by the idea of selling yourself. This feeling wasn't helped by the fact that her breasts were actually smaller than the prostitute's, making her feel pitifully average with unwanted envy. It didn't help that the woman winked at her as they walked by, causing Dominator to blush slightly. And it really didn't help that Dominator could hear sensual moaning within seconds of the door being closed.

With her appetite officially ruined, Dominator wrapped up the remaining food. She was growing all the more grateful that she swiped these baggy pants, as she unzipped a pocket on her leg and placed her left-overs inside. Grabbing her sack, she continued her journey to the city.

She didn't make it far. Dominator had not even walked for minute down the road before her path was blocked by a vehicle. The driver had swerved across traffic and directly into her path, leaving black marks on the road.

"Hey! What's the big idea, twerp?" she yelled, anger clouding any sense and logic. That fog lifted when she saw that this vehicle was sporting a similar paint job to the bandit car she left behind. Five humanoids with similar fashion sense to the bandits popped out with several large blasters. That's when Dominator realized those weren't just stray bandits she killed. They were gang members.

"Oh, no. Oh, no no no," Dominator mumbled as she slowly backed away from the gang. One of the gang members looked down at a device in his hand, nodded, then pointed right at her. They all raised their blasters. "Oh, grob!"

With no cover on the sun lit road, Dominator only had one option. Turning on her heels, she dashed back to the orange buildings. As she serpentined away from the gang, a killer instinct took over the woman's mind. It was same instinct that turned her into the predator against three bandits in an abandoned service station. Dominator knew she could survive this, but it wasn't going to be easy.

With adrenaline powered speed, Dominator made it back to the twin buildings. Dropping into a slide, she took cover behind the short, stone wall next to the road. A small sting made itself know, drawing Dominator's attention to her side. It wasn't a serious wound, but one of the assailants managed to graze her leg. Choosing to ignore it, the villain dropped her sack and strategized.

Dominator wasn't great with regular blasters, let alone ones with insane kickback. She would need to pick her shots, as to maximize deadliness and minimize reloading. If she waited till they were close, she could hone in and pick them off with ease. It they got too close, she would stab them with her knife. The whole event was probably going to hurt, but that didn't matter so long as she was the last one standing. With her pistol in her right hand and her knife in the left, she was ready to fight.

At first, everything was going as plan. When the gang got close, she took a shot. The guy in front took the bolt right in-between his eyes and dropped dead. The others were quick to retaliate, spraying their rifles wildly. Dominator was quick to drop back down and reposition. When they stopped shooting, she repeated her attack. Popping up, she managed to down the next person in two shots. This time she was shot back, taking a hit to her left forearm. With her knife hand severely hindered, she made a point to put some distance between the gang and herself.

Running to the opposite end of the car lot, Dominator ducked down behind an empty vehicle. She could hear the bandits communicating, but was completely lost on what they were saying. It didn't help that most of the bystanders were panicking, making it harder for her to pinpoint the assailants' locations. Taking a deep breath, she waited for the right moment. When Dominator glimpsed two bandits on the edge of her vision, she went for it.

Popping up, she took a shot at one of the approaching bandits. As she was pulling the trigger, they moved, dashing in opposite directions with unnatural speed. Catching her off guard, the bandits dashed again to close the distance. Acting without thinking, Dominator took a shot at point blank, causing one of bandits to fall dead. She turned to stab the other, but the bandit blocked her. His arms had opened up to reveal long, protruding blades.

Dominator's mind was in shock at what she witnessed. Her hesitation cost her, as the bandit took the chance to retaliate, stabbing both of his arm blades though her stomach. She screamed, as an agony she had never known spread across her midsection. The man lifted her up, laughing as he was about to slice her in two. But Dominator didn't want him to have the satisfaction. With every ounce of focus and effort she could muster, the green woman raised her pistol to the man's head.

With a bang, the man's head exploded into a shower of red blood and a white liquid Dominator didn't recognize. The newly made corpse fell backwards, taking Dominator with it. She had to catch herself with her arms as to not further skewer herself on the blades still sticking out her back.

The last gang member ran up to her, his flaming hatred for Dominator clear in his eye. She raised her gun to blast him, but there was only a soft click. She had used her six shots. The man chuckled, and spoke softly. She didn't know what he was saying, but Dominator guessed it wasn't anything polite. She watched him raise his blaster rifle to her face, and got ready for the end.

* * *

Jackie Welles was in a foul mood. He joined the Valentinos so he could have some excitement and maybe a shot at a better life in Night City. He didn't join to be Padre's fucking delivery boy! And yet here he was. Driving all the way out to the Badlands because Dakota Smith had bought some sensitive info off the Valentinos, and she requested that the shards be hand delivered.

Pulling into the Sunset Motel, he parked his clunker off to the side and waited. About five minutes later, an off-road jeep pulled into the lot. An elderly woman with tattoos stepped out of the passenger seat. A pair of armed guards also stepped out and joined her. Jackie grabbed the suitcase from his back seat and approached them.

"Señora Smith?" he asked, hiding his frustrations with a polite smile.

"You must be Jackie," said Dakota. "Got the shards?"

"Right here." Jackie placed the suitcase on the hood of the truck and opened it. Inside were three data shards, each about two inches long. Dakota picked one at random and slid it into the slot on the back of her neck.

"Hmm…" The elderly woman seemed to be in a deep trance as her eyes took on a soft glow. The data on the shard was being projected onto her corneas, letting her go through it with just her mind.

"Everything on Militech's updated border patrols. Let Ibarra know he has my thanks." Dakota removed the shard from her neck and placed it back in the suitcase. "Go ahead and wire the money," she said, speaking to one of her guards.

"Good doing business with you Señora Smith," Jackie said.

"Please, call me Dakota."

"Dakota it is then."

"Until next time, Jackie." Dakota got back in the truck with the suitcase and her guards, and they drove off.

Jackie walked back to his car and leaned against it, taking in the desert landscape. Nothing ever happened at the Sunset Motel. That's why so many deals went down there. It was safe. Safe and boring. Only thing you had to worry about were drunks and joytoys. Even the green lady over on the bench seemed unassuming compared to the shit you could see up in Kabuki.

Jackie was taken out of his thoughts by his phone ringing. Seeing that is was Padre, he answered.

"Jackie Welles speaking."

"Good news Jackie," the old Latino man spoke. "I just received the payment from Smith. I'll be sending you your cut shortly. Contract closed."

"Hey, before you go…" Jackie sputtered out.

"Hm?"

"Any chance you have any jobs a bit more… interesting for me to do?"

Padre laughed at his question. "So eager for adventure, amigo? To be young again. I will send you more lucrative work when you are ready."

"Ah… Sì, of course Señor." Jackie tried to sound grateful, but he failed to hide the disappointment in his voice.

"Fret not, as I'm sure many of the other Valentinos would be willing to teach you. In the meantime, help yourself to a drink on me. As a sign of my gratitude," Padre said, his soft smile practically visible on his voice.

"Gracias Señor." Jackie thanked the fixer before hanging up. A minute later, 355 eddies had been transferred to his account. That was exactly ten more than his contract said he would get. "Guess he wasn't joking about that drink."

Jackie made his way up the steps of the right hand building and into the motel bar. While he doubts that Padre meant for him to get a drink that very second, Jackie wasn't passing up the chance. It was better than going home and having Mama Welles nag his ear off about joining the Valentinos. He understood her concern. Gang life was known to be a quick road to either a jail cell or a grave. Or both, if you were really unlucky. But he didn't know what else to do.

Jackie was never great at school. Not bad, but being a consistent C student didn't attract scholarships. And even if he could get into a decent university, all that could lead to was a life as a soulless corpo rat. He thought about becoming a ripper doc like Vik, but it turns out he's worse at anatomy than literature. Working at his mom's bar was always an option. It brought in enough money to get by, but only just. The way he saw it, becoming a Valentino was the best way to earn a better life, even if he had to get there with petty crime.

Maybe Misty and Vik could help him figure something out. Vik taught Jackie how to fight, and promised to get him the best chrome once he could actually afford it. Misty was his mega spiritual girlfriend, and possibly the prettiest woman he had ever met. Sure they had only gone on two dates, but they enjoyed each other's company, always making one another smile. Jackie was sure they could help.

"One beer, por favor," he requested as he stepped up to the bar.

"Anything in particular?" the bar tender asked.

"Lager if you got it."

"That will be six eddies."

Jackie transferred the money. The bartender nodded before opening a bottle of lager and placing it on the counter. Jackie thanked him before taking the bottle and stepping outside. With a sigh, he leaned against the railing and sipped at his beer. He was down to about half a bottle when the sound of gunshots forced him out of his thoughts.

Everyone was diving for cover, not wanting to be the victim of a drive by. Jackie was about to take cover inside the bar when he spotted her. The green lady he dismissed earlier was high tailing it down the road and back to the Sunset Motel. Right behind her were five Wraiths, criminals that had been expelled from nomad clans for some pretty fucked up stuff. Whoever this freaky woman was, she had seriously pissed off the wrong crowd.

Jackie was ready to write her off as a dead girl when she capped one of the Wraiths, putting a hole in the man's head. Jackie almost couldn't believe his eyes. Then she repositioned and took out another, this time with two shots. She was a bit slow, but she was calculating and knew her way through a fight. Some unfamiliar gut feeling rose in Jackie. It was like some divine force was compelling him to help her. To be her back up.

Going slow to not attract attention, Jackie worked his way down the steps and behind a bench. Last thing he needed was to get killed by a stray bullet. Pulling out his hand-me-down pistol, he popped his head up just in time to watch the woman get stabbed and picked up with mantis blades. Panicking, Jackie ran out of cover, but stopped when the man with said mantis blades had his head blown off at point blank.

"Dios mìo," Jackie whispered, not used to such brutality. The few fire fights he had been in were never this gory. He was almost too scared to approach the woman now. That was until the last Wraith approached her.

"Jimbo was my best man, you bitch," the ex-nomad spat, venom lacing his every movement and word. "Now it's time for me to return the favor. See you in hell, freak." The Wraith raised his assault rifle to the woman's face.

Acting without thought, Jackie raised his pistol and fired a round into the bandit's chest. The Wraith staggered back, but Jackie shot him again before he had the chance to retaliate. A third short, and then a forth to finally bring him down. With all of the Wraiths dead, Jackie holstered his gun and leaned down to help the green woman.

"Don't move, chica. We got to be careful about this," Jackie said, a reassuring smile gracing his lips. Despite his words, the lady looked at him in bewilderment. "You're gonna be okay." Jackie nodded to help get his point across. The woman seemed hesitant, but slowly nodded in return.

Jackie was by no means a doctor, but figured her wounds were survivable if he got her to a ripper doc soon enough. He just had to carefully get the mantis blades out of her midsection. Judging by the angle, he decided that lifting her straight up was her best bet.

"Ok. On the count of three, I'm gonna lift you up and off. Are you ready?" Jackie asked the woman, and again all she did was slowly nod. Jackie wasn't sure if she fully understood what he was saying, but positioned his arms under her anyways. "Alrighty. One, two, THREE!" In one smooth movement, Jackie lifted the lady up, causing the mantis blades to slip out easily.

She screamed and kicked in his arms as tears started to leak from her eyes. Jackie could only imagine the pain she was in. He gently set back down on the ground, doing his best to maneuver the woman into a sitting position. He didn't know how to slow the bleeding without a clean rag, but he knew getting dirt into the wound would only make things worse.

Getting a good look at her, he was starting to think this chick was some escaped Arasaka experiment. The green skin was unusual, but no more so than people who get implants for gold or red skin. But then he noticed that her ears were pointy, like that Yoda character from Star Wars. And her eyes were something else entirely. Unnaturally large and having a light rose color, they appeared 100% organic. Not the slightest hint of implants.

Ignoring his overactive imagination, Jackie focused on saving this girl before she bled out.

"We need to get you some MaxDoc and then to a ripper. I know a guy, but he's all the way in Watson. You won't make it without- Hey!" Apparently he was boring her, as the strange girl stood up and started to limp away. She was slow, having to hold her stomach, but that didn't cease her stubbornness. That's when Jackie first noticed her bight green blood leaking out the wounds in her back. Again ignoring the insane possibilities, he moved to stop her.

"Hold up there, amiga!" he said, grabbing her shoulder. "You won't make it fa-" Jackie was cut off when the woman swung at him with a right hook. Her fist impacted with his left cheek and damn near knocked him on his ass. "Oooow! The hell is wrong with you? Perra loca!"

The woman turned to him and started yelling at him in a language he didn't recognize. It sounded like a weird mix of Arabic and Finnish. Thoroughly confused, Jackie watched as she struggled to reach a large sack on the ground. She started digging though it and practically tossed a first-aid kit to the side.

"You got meds, why aren't you taking them?" Jackie asked. Instead the woman pulled a road flare out of the sack and ignited it. "I wouldn't-," she pressed it to her stomach wounds and let out a sigh. "What… are you?"

Feeling like he still needed to help, Jackie grabbed another road flare off the ground and lit it. He moved to press it against her back, but she pulled away.

"Whoa… Easy there," he said, pulling his hands back to show he meant no harm. "Let me help. I can get your back."

The woman stared at him with a mix of fear and unbridled fury. Jackie couldn't begin to imagine what she had been through. His gut feeling only grew stronger. This woman needed help, and God had sent him to do just that.

He pointed to the flare in his hands and then to her back. He couldn't talk to her, but he had been around Japantown enough to know how to communicate without words. She seemed to understand and slowly turned away from him. Not wanting to startle the poor woman, Jackie gently rubbed the area around the exit wound before pressing the flare against it. The girl let out a sigh and leaned back against the heat, as if wanting more.

Jackie expected the wound to melt close, but usually such efforts were messy and accompanied by lots of screaming. Not only did the woman seem to relax with the heat, but it seemed to be helping the body heal faster. It wasn't perfect, but the wound scabbed over with amazing speed.

They spent all three of the woman's flares to stop her bleeding. It was only on the surface, as Jackie was sure she still had internal bleeding. He grabbed the first-aid kit and was happy to find it fully stocked with bandages and meds. After helping the woman wrap her wounds, he handed her a Bounce Back hypo. She just stared at it before turning back to him with a lost look.

Laughing gently, Jackie tapped the tip and then patted his stomach. It took her a second to understand, but the woman pressed the hypo needle against her stomach. Then Jackie opened his palm and made a sharp, squeezing motion. The woman followed suit, and a soft hiss came from the Bounce Back. The woman took a sharp breath as her eyes went wide, making them look cartoonishly large. Convinced that she would last at least a few hours, Jackie let out a sigh of relief.

"My name is Jackie Welles," he said, gesturing to himself. The girl met his gaze and he repeated himself. "Jackie."

"Jack-ee?" the girl said, as if testing the feel of his name.

"Jackie," he nodded, his smile growing into a grin.

"Jackie," the woman repeated, matching his grin. Then she placed her hand against her chest. "Vheenaslivawheske Rayisu," she spoke with an intense degree of pride.

"Uh… Vhee… nisli," Jackie struggled to pronounce the over complicated name, as it once again sounded so foreign that he couldn't pinpoint the language.

"Vheenaslivawheske," the woman corrected.

"Vheena… slivow… whee- how about I just call you V?" Jackie said, giving up on trying pronouncing the insane title.

"Vheenasli-"

"No," Jackie interrupted her, shaking his head. He pointed to her and said it again. "V"

"V?"

"V," Jackie nodded. He tried to maintain his grin, but the woman's insidious glare made him think he was gonna get punched again. He didn't mean to offend, but it wasn't his fault she had some kooky, foreign name. Lucky, the woman seemed to give in.

"V," she sighed, rolling her giant eyes in annoyance.

"Haha! Jackie and V taking on Night City!" The Latino man jumped to his feet before helping V to hers. "I know you probably can't understand me, but I'm getting one of my good feelings about this. Let's get you to a ripper doc."

Jackie helped V into his car before picking up all her things. He found her fat wad of cash, and that gave him the feeling that she stole all her supplies from the Wraiths. He had to admire the balls it took to do something that stupid. Getting into the driver's seat, he handed the sack to V. He also handed her a disposable comb he kept in the glove compartment. This earned him another smile from the woman as she immediately started combing her unruly white Mohawk.

Pulling out his phone, he opened Viktor Vector's info and hit the call button. After a few rings, his old friend answered.

"Hey, Jackie," Vik said. "I'm kinda in the middle of an operation."

"Sorry, tìo. But I got an emergency in my hands. Friend got beat up bad," Jackie responded, trying to get the info out as quick as possible.

"How bad is bad?"

"She took a pair of mantis blades to the stomach. But I got her some Bounce Back, so she should last a few hours."

"Alright, come on over and I'll look at your friend as soon as I can."

Vik hung up, so Jackie dropped his phone in the cup holder.

"Good news, V," he said, drawing the girl's attention. "I'm taking you to a doctor, best in the city. He'll patch you up right." He made sure to point to her stomach to help get his point across. She didn't respond, but that was better than accidently freaking her out.

As he was pulling out of the lot, his new friend broke out in a fit of laughter.

"Hahahahahaha!"

"What's so funny, V?" Jackie asked.

Noticing his confusion, V made a gun sign and then gestured away from her head, as if her mind was being blown. She even made her own sound effects, making it clear that she was referring to when she literally blew a guy's head off.

"Yep," Jackie chuckled. "Life sure got a lot more interesting."


	3. A Professional Opinion

Jackie was trucking down the highway as fast as he could without drawing the NCPD's attention. With the midday traffic, it was gonna take 30 minute to drive to Little China. And his new friend didn't look like she would make it. V started out the emergency trip looking fine enough, but now she was woozy and couldn't stop shivering. When she started to cough up green blood, Jackie decided it was time for more meds.

"Get the first-aid kit, V", he said, pointing to bag of supplies. It took the woman a second to figure out what he wanted. She pulled out a bottle of water, but when Jackie shook his head no she was able to guess that he meant the kit. Once she had it open, he pointed to one of the MaxDoc inhalers.

"Take off the cap. Good. Now put the opening in your mouth," Jackie guided V through the process, being sure to talk slow and point with each new instruction. It was more difficult than he was used to, considering he was also trying to drive his hunk of junk car down the main express way. "Awesome, tìo. Now press down on the top." He made a pinching motion, and V followed suit. There was the expected hiss, and V let out a small sigh. Even though she didn't inhale much of the MaxDoc, Jackie was satisfied that she would last the rest of the trip.

It was quiet in the car for about a minute before V started to gag. Jackie thought she was coughing and tried to hand her the water bottle, but she pushed it away. Unsure what to do, Jackie was beginning to panic. His first thought was to get off the highway and pull over, but he didn't get the chance. V reached for the door handle and opened it.

"The fuck you doing?! We're going 80!" Jackie's adrenaline spiked as he divided his attention between driving and pulling V back into the car. But he backed off V once she had her head out the door and began to violently vomit. The extreme heaving continued for several seconds as Jackie dodged around cars so V wouldn't lose her head. Once she stopped, Jackie pulled her in, the door coming with them as V had not let go of the handle.

"Feeling better there, choom?" Jackie asked, trying to joke with the girl. She didn't respond, or even acknowledge his question. She instead took the water bottle that Jackie had dropped in his panic, and took a large gulp. Jackie grimaced at the bile and green blood her mouth left on the lip. "I guess that's officially your water bottle."

Again, V didn't respond. After capping the bottle and placing it in the cup holder next to Jackie's phone, she closed her eyes. Her gangster friend was still worried about her shivers, as he half watched her hug herself for warmth. Everything was quiet again, the only noticeable sounds being the engine and V's steady breathing. Jackie assumed she dosed off and didn't dare wake her till they were at Vik's.

* * *

"Welcome to Misty's Esoterica. I'll be with you in- oh… um," Misty stuttered as she looked up from the client she was helping. Her kinda boyfriend had just walked in, but her attention was drawn to the severely injured woman he was with.

"Hey Misty," Jackie said, half dragging the woman into his girlfriend's shop. "Could you let Vik know we're here? We got an appointment."

"Uh, yea. Yea." Stepping over to the counter top, Misty typed a short message for Vik on her computer. Within a couple seconds, she received the ripperdoc's response. "Vik's all set for you. Is she going to be alright?" she asked. Despite being Viktor's impromptu receptionist for nearly a year, Misty couldn't stop worrying about the more injured clients. And this woman was struggling to stand up, let alone walk.

"No worries, cariño. Vik is the best there is," Jackie said. He dragged his companion out the back door and down the alley stairs to Viktor's Clinic.

"I like your synth skin!" Misty called out to the green woman, but she was ignored.

* * *

"Get her in the chair," Vik commanded. He had just finished setting up the necessary supplies for an emergency operation. Only thing left was to inject his arms with stability meds, as to help make everything flow smoother. "Outside of multiple stab and bullet wounds, anything I should know?"

"She stuck her head out of a moving vehicle and puked all over the highway," Jackie said, his voice lacking the usual carefree tone Vik was used to.

"When was this?"

"Right after I gave her some MaxDoc. V was shivering and seemed to be in pain, so I thought…" Jackie trailed off, a slight fear that he screwed up rising in him.

"You were right to give it to her," Vik reassured him. "Might have been an allergic reaction to the inhalant. Rare, but not unheard of." Turning to his new patient, Vik handed her a neural jack.

"Alright, Miss V was it? Let's get you jacked in so I can see the full extent of the damage." He tried to carry a friendly smile, but that didn't help with V's hesitation. With extreme caution, she took the jack from his hand. She stared at it, her face scrunched in confusion.

"Take the jack," Vik said, tapping the wire, "and plug it into your port." He tapped the side of his neck, hoping to get the point across. It didn't work. Her confusion grew, as she raised a thin eyebrow at him as if he was an idiot. "Jackie, please tell your friend to plug in the jack."

V moved her gaze to the gangster in a desperate act for reassurance. Jackie made eye contact with her and was about explain. He taught her how to use a Bounce Back. A neural jack should be easy. But something in his gut made him hesitate. That feeling that made him save a complete stranger was back but different somehow.

"Uh… Vik," Jackie turned to the ripperdoc. "I-uh… don't think she has a neural port."

"No neural port," Vik laughed. "Jackie, you don't get eye implants without a neural port."

"I don't think she has any chrome, either."

"For the love of-," Vik sighed. "Fine, I'll do it myself." He took the jack from V and gently moved her head away from him. When he didn't see a neural port, he moved her head in the opposite direction. "Don't tell me you got one of those outdated, netrunner ports." Vik sat the girl up as to check the back of her head and neck for a port, but still found nothing.

V growled in frustration, not understanding and clearly not enjoying Vik's prodding. She slapped his arm away before griping in a language the ripperdoc didn't recognize.

"Whoa, easy there V," Jackie said, rushing to the woman's side. "Viktor's just trying to help."

"Jackie," V said, pointing to the stairwell. She tried to get out of the operating chair, but Jackie pushed her back down.

"Can't leave, choom. Not till you're patched up." Jackie tapped her stomach before she could yell at him, and she relented.

"I need to check something," Vik said. Stepping away from the patient, he walked back to his usual spot and opened one of the desk drawers. Inside was an assortment of old medical tools, from which he chose an ophthalmoscope. Going back to the operating chair, he moved Jackie out of the way and sat down on his stool.

"Eyes on me, V." Vik pointed back and forth between his eyes and hers as to best convey his instructions. He turned on the ophthalmoscope, lighting up its LED, and held it to V's eye. He looked through the tool and almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. The basic structure of V's eye appeared normal, but the coloring was all off. The veins took on a dark green and stood out against the bright red retina. And most striking of all was the complete lack of cybernetics. V's eyes were 100% organic. He checked the other eye just to be sure, but still no implants.

"Well, I'll be damned," Vik whispered.

"Was I right?" Jackie asked, sounding a little too proud of himself.

Vik didn't answer, instead walking away again. This time he went into a dimly lit back area, and came back pushing a small cart with a computer and a mechanical arm attached to it.

"A CT scan? You're patching her up, not installing a cyberdeck."

"Jackie, you're a smart guy," Vik said. "You were right about V not having any cybernetics. But last time I checked, humans don't have red eyes and green skin."

"Just because she's a little weird doesn't mean she's not human," Jackie defended. "I just saw the green blood and assumed some corpo scientist tried fucking with her genes."

"Here's hoping you're wrong," Vik said, setting up the computer. "Cause if your right, the two of us are dead men walking."

Once the program was ready, Vik positioned the mechanical arm. On the end was a slightly curved apparatus two feet in length. Vik moved it over V's midsection then started the program, causing a series of lights along apparatus to illuminate a soft purple.

"We are good to go," Vik stated. "Jackie, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave. V, do your best to not move." Again, Vik made sure V got the message. He positioned her arms by her sides and did his best to gesture for stillness, his hands slowly patting the air above her. The scowl she gave the ripperdoc made him a bit concerned, but V still seemed to understand his instructions as she relaxed into the reclined position. Whoever she was, Vik could tell she was beyond intelligent.

Once Jackie was gone, Vik started the count down before going into the back area, safely out of sight. The light apparatus began to rotate, taking a scan of V's body. First it went up to her head before rotating down to her feet. Once complete, the computer let out three soft beeps before scanning her whole body again. After the second scan, the apparatus shut off and the computer let out a single loud beep.

Vik stepped out from his hiding spot. As he expected, the computer display numerous error messages. The computer couldn't understand what it was seeing and did a second scan, only to receive the same results. The error that stood out the most to Vik was V's exceptionally high body temperature: 51.4°C or about 124.6°F. That was far above what would kill a human. So why didn't she feel like a furnace? Checking the other error messages, Vik found the smoking gun he was looking for.

His mobile scanner could never compare to the equipment used in hospitals, or even what Trauma Team used. Their scanners could show concentrations of individual elements and substances down to 10 cubic micrometers, or just larger than the size of a red blood cell. Such technology, however, was reserved for the top 0.1% of society. His scanner could only give general measurements of commonly found elements. Thankfully, that was plenty enough for examining V.

V had extremely high traces of copper and sulfur in her body. These are elements the body needed to function, but they would become deadly toxic at the levels the computer was displaying. While he was no biologist, Vik couldn't think of a single creature that functioned with such unusual chemical compositions, with the possible exception of some extremophile bacteria. To top it off, the computer was registering anomalous materials. These chemicals where unlabeled because it wasn't programed to identify them.

Lastly, he checked V's anatomy. To Vik's surprise, everything looked somewhat normal. The only thing that jumped out at him was how unusual some of the organs were shaped. In anyone else, he would call these deformities. But it was all too uniform for that. This was less like a genetic mutation, and more like looking at the insides of a bona fide alien. Vik was starting to feel like he was in a poorly written movie about Area 51 and lizard people.

"You wouldn't happen to be a space alien, would you V?" he asked. She didn't answer and he wasn't expecting one. "Your right. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Maybe I'll take a day off and scout the Badlands for a crashed UFO." V turned her head to him, probably wondering what he was babbling on about.

Deciding to leave the weirdness alone for the time being, Vik focused in on the wounds. Thanks to V's somewhat ordinary anatomy, repairing the internal damage would be a simple job. The part that made things difficult was her green blood. If he had to guess, the blood was what caused the sulfur and copper readings to spike. That meant he couldn't give her synthetic blood after the operation as it would most likely kill her. Vik would have to operate fast, because if V lost too much blood then he wouldn't be able to save her.

"Alright, V. Here's the plan," Vik said, reaching for the anesthetic gun. "The easiest way to do this is to put you under. You're gonna feel light headed for a minute, then it's lights out." He placed the proper medicine into the gun, twisting the canister into place. Vik felt a bit off giving a play-by-play to a patient that didn't understand English, but the habit was good bedside manner.

"Once you are asleep, I'll get to work repairing your insides. Should be a quick operation. When you are awake, I'll have Misty help you wash up. Sound good?"

"Jackie?" V's shivering and nerves making her sound scared. Vik could empathize. Far from home in the big city where no one could talk to you? He figured she must be terrified, even if she didn't want to show it.

"Jackie is waiting outside. He'll be here when you wake up," he smiled. "Let's get started." Vik pressed the gun hypo against V's neck and squeezed. There was a soft hiss, and V slowly dozed off.

* * *

"Charla loca! How 'bout you stop shittin' me and give it to me straight?"

"I'm telling you, V isn't human," Vik said. He stood inside Misty's shop with her and Jackie. V was going to be unconscious for about another hour, giving him time to figure out the best course of action with Jackie. But Jackie didn't want to listen.

"Because space alien make so much more sense," Jackie huffed, rolling his eyes.

"I'll show you the scans if I must. There it not a single thing on this Earth built like she is. I know it sounds crazy, but when you eliminate every other possible answer…" Vik trailed off, struggling to make his argument. Jackie was right to be doubtful, but he couldn't think of another possibility.

"And what if she's an Arasaka experiment?"

"I considered that, but the technology just doesn't exist. The best anyone can do is modifying an existing organism, preferably while still in utero. And those modifications are usually to the organism's own detriment. To create a human like V would mean starting from scratch. Not even Biotechnica could pull that one off."

Jackie scratched his chin and turned to Misty.

"Do you believe him?" he asked.

"It's not that outlandish," Misty said, shuffling an old tarot deck. "Our solar system just reached Andromeda. Perhaps some other worldly beings sent a scout to check out the new star."

"The way she fights?" Jackie laughed. "V might be an intergalactic criminal in hiding."

"Regardless of where she came from," Vik interrupted, "we still need to figure out what to do with her. She looks human enough, but it would still be best to keep her out of sight as much as possible."

"I just assumed she was gonna live with me and Mama," Jackie said. "At least until she heals."

"She does trust you, so that would probably be best. But how do we communicate with her?"

"We communicate just fine," Jackie smirked, shrugging off Vik's concern.

"Vik's right. If she says here, we need a long term solution," Misty interjected. "We need to teach her English, even if that means starting from scratch."

"And how do we do that?"

"One of my regulars is a netrunner…" Vik started, thinking out loud. "He likes to sell pirated software on the side. Normally, I wouldn't trust anything coming from his system, but I might be able to get some educational programs on the cheap. Until then, teaching her will have to fall on you." Vik nodded to Jackie.

"How? Mama and I speak Español at home. Half of Heywood only speaks Español!"

"I'm sure you'll figure something out," Vik whispered. Now it was his turn to smirk.

"Tienes que estar bromeando."

"Some clothes would probably be a good idea, too," Misty said.

"I'm not buying V clothes," Vik said. "I'll save her life a million times over if I have to, but my generosity ends there."

"V has eddies," Jackie stated, his tone so matter-of-fact it caught his two friends off guard.

"Care to expand on that little tid bit?" Misty asked.

"I got a big bag in my car that V was caring around. It's full of food, meds, and a fat wad of paper eddies. Most nomads carry some kind of emergency supplies. My guess is she klepped it off the Wraiths that were chasing her down."

"Okay then," Misty said. She felt a splash of uneasiness run through her. She didn't like that Jackie's idea of intergalactic criminal suddenly made a lot more sense.

"We have a game plan," Vik nodded. "Jackie, you grab that bag. I'll write down V's basic measurements, and Misty can use the eddies to buy her some fresh clothes. Once she wakes up, we can wash her and send her home with Jackie."

"Why am I buying the clothes?"

"Because it was your idea."

* * *

"What did your mother say?" Vik asked.

"She's happy to help a person in need; once I convinced her that V isn't a pandillero of course."

"Yeah, that sounds like Guadalupe."

Vik was in the process of transferring files from the CT scanner to his main computer. It was unlikely anyone would try to steal his equipment, but he didn't want to risk it. Once he had V's scans on his main computer, he could encrypt them.

Without much to do, Jackie did his best to patiently wait. After giving some of V's money to Misty to go shopping, he called Mama Welles to fill her in. He omitted the not-entirely-human part, as he didn't trust his mother to trust him with something so outrageous. That only took a few minutes, so then he set up a wheel chair and blanket for V. He figured she wouldn't want to stay in the operating chair when she woke up. With the wheel chair she could sit up more. After that, all he could do was sit and wait. He planted himself on Vik's weight bench, his right leg bouncing in tense anticipation.

"Would you please cut that out?" Vik asked. "Christ Jackie, you're acting like your mother just had a heart attack."

"Lo siento."

"It's going to be okay," Vik smiled at his young friend. "Give V a week, and she'll be as good as new. Better even."

"I know. Just… it's all so weird you know?" Jackie rubbed the back of his neck, doing his best to calm his nerves.

"You mean finding an alien wandering the Badlands and then saving her from Raffen Shiv?"

"Well, yeah there's that," Jackie nodded. "But I keep getting this feeling. Like some gut reaction pulling me towards her."

"Uh hu…" Vik was silent for a long second, not entirely sure how to respond. He wasn't known for giving out emotional advice. "This feeling… is it like an attraction? Maybe parental or sexual?"

"No, no. It's more like… someone is commanding me to go to her. Like… El Dios is up there telling me to protect V." Jackie pointed up to the ceiling before bringing his hands together.

"You know I've never been religious, Jackie." Vik looked over at V and scratched his chin. "But then again, if you want to make an argument for a higher power, a human-like alien would be a good starting point."

"So, you believe me?"

"That your gut told you to do all this? Yes. Do I believe it was God's doing? Not in the slightest."

"Oh," Jackie pouted a little, but brushed off his disappointment.

"How about you do us both a favor and practice your boxing stances? We got a while, and I won't have you moping for the next hour."

* * *

"I'm back!" Misty opened the door to Viktor's Clinic, several retail bags in hand.

Things were quiet as usual. The only sound was Jackie's heavy breathing as he borrowed Vik's dumbbells. V sat in a wheelchair with a blanket, watching him. The woman was still half asleep from the anesthetics and probably wasn't even aware of the rest of the room. For once, Vik wasn't filling the silence by watching T.V boxing. He was hunched over his computer, going over the results of V's CT scan.

"Learn anything about your newest patient?"

"Hu? Oh, hey Misty," Vik said. "I was actually trying to figure out her shirt. I think the fabric is what registered the unknown materials. And is seems to have a structure similar to the mesh used in neural implants. What I'd give to have an electron microscope right now."

"Riiiight…," Misty paused, only understanding about half of what Vik said. "I think I'll stick to the spiritual and leave medical science to you."

"19… 20…" Jackie sat down the dumbbell and stretched. "Took you long enough. Get anything good from the shop?"

"I'll let V decide that. After I shower the poor woman."

"Jackie, go with 'em," Vik said. "At least until V knows what's going on. I don't want her panicking and reopening her wounds."

Jackie pushed V's wheel chair into the back area and to the steps leading to Vik's apartment, Misty following right behind. Normally, the ripperdoc wouldn't let anyone up there, but it was the only shower they had immediate access to.

"Alright amiga," Jackie said, removing V's blanket. "Put your weight on me. We'll take it slow." He helped the woman stand, and they worked their way up the steps. Despite her obvious dizziness, V kept trying to pull away from Jackie. Her independence streak was a point of amusement to the gangster, but Jackie easily overpowered her. "You can't win, V. Not when coming off a high."

Going up to the second level, the group made their way into Viktor's flat. It was a single room consisting of a bed, a T.V, a kitchenette, and a small bathroom off to the side. V did her best to take the place in while her companions led her over to the shower. Once she was the bathroom, the green woman quickly connected the dots. She sniffed her shirt and immediately blushed, her face turning a deep evergreen color.

"Alright, Jackie. You can go now," Misty said. She placed the retail bags on the bed.

"But Vik said to make sure V knew what was going on," Jackie protested, not realizing that the woman in question was already undressing.

"Which she clearly does. Now shoo, before I tell Mama Welles you were trying to sneak a peek."

"I'm just going to start the water, and then I'll- Aauh!" Jackie turned to see V had already dropped her pants and panties and was currently struggling to remove her black crop top. He quickly covered his eyes, his cheeks turning a deep red. "V!"

"Haaaa hahaha," V broke into a fit of laughter at Jackie's expense. Even Misty giggled a little when she copied the 'Aauh' Jackie had made.

"Perra loca," Jackie mumbled, rushing out of the flat.

"Okay goofball. Let's get the shirt off," Misty said as she approached V.

V stopped laughing and tried to turn away from Misty, which proved difficult as she was forced to lean against the sink for balance. She frowned at the girl, pointing at Misty and then to the door. Misty shook her head in response.

"You just got out of surgery," Misty pointed out. She gently traced the still visible marks on V's stomach, to make sure the woman understood. "I'm helping you. Now arms up."

Letting out a whimper, V let Misty guide her. She lifted her arms to let Misty remove her top and then sat on the sink so her shoes could come off. Once she was naked, she let Misty lead her into the shower.

To Misty's credit, she tried her best not to stare. It was clear that V was embarrassed and was probably not used to needing help for such simple things. But the temptation of curiosity was too great. Whether V was an alien or corpo experiment, Misty wanted to get a good look at her. So, she snuck her own peeks as she removed V's top and blood-caked shoed. And she was thoroughly disappointed. Outside of a few details, V looked just as human in the nude as she did with clothes on.

Once in the shower, Misty sat V down on the metal stool Vik used. After stripping herself naked, she reached over V's head to the shower knobs.

"This might be a bit cold at first, but I'll warm it up." Misty turned the flow knob, allowing the water to pour over her and V.

"Eek!" V squealed, immediately trying to avoid the icy spray. In her injured and drowsy state, Misty was able to hold her to the stool.

"Give it a second!"

As the water increased in temperature, V ceased her struggling and relaxed. Misty went to work cleaning the green woman, starting with her hair. Leaning V forward, Misty made sure her mohawk was wet before reaching for Vik's scentless shampoo. Once V's scalp was properly scrubbed, she leaned the woman forward again.

"Miss Tee," V stuttered, pointing up at the ceiling.

"Let's keep you sitting for right now," Misty said.

"Miss Tee." V pointed at the shower nobs and then up again.

"Ooooh, you want it warmer." Misty reached forward and turned the left knob. A few seconds later, the shower grew hotter and steamier. V leaned back into Misty with a satisfied sigh.

Misty continued to wash V in silence, both women enjoying the peaceful static of the running water. When washing the arms, Misty tried not to stare at V's lack of pinkies or over examine her light brown freckles. However, she did puzzle over the black soot that seemed to require extra scrubbing to come off. She didn't bother asking though, knowing the V wouldn't be able to answer.

She handed the brush to V, letting the woman scrub her own legs and midsection. V took her time savoring the bit of independence she had just been handed. She even started to quietly sing to herself.

Misty let herself smile at seeing V so happy. She had no clue what her new companion was singing. The language was unfamiliar to her ears. But that didn't subtract from how hypnotic V's voice was. Her song was only a couple minutes, at which point V stopped scrubbing.

"Miss Tee," V said, this time pointing to herself and then up.

"Oh, alright," Misty chuckled. Grabbing V by the arm, she helped the woman stand. Once on her feet, V was able to steady herself against the wall. "I'll get your back." Misty picked up the brush, allowing V to reach for the shower knobs unnoticed.

"Just need a bit more soa- AHH! TOO HOT!" Misty leaped back out of the flow of water to avoid being burned.

"Hehehe! Hehehe!" V giggled. She gazed at Misty with a renewed air of mischief.

"V! No! Not cool." Misty moved back into the water to turn down the temperature, but V blocked her.

"No. Not cool," said V. She placed her arms on opposite walls of the shower, allowing her to stand up straight. Looking down at Misty, V's eyes narrowed as her lips grew into a twisted grin.

"V…" Misty struggled to think of words. Up until that point, V had been forced to lean on another person to stand. Only now was Misty able to take in just how imposing V's figure was. She was thin but fit enough to show the faint outline of strong muscles. She was also unusually tall, a full head taller than Misty. That put her on par with many of the Animals gang members. Misty knew she was 6 feet and 5 inches thanks to the scans, but numbers alone didn't do justice.

"Miss Tee," V said before leaning in close and whispering, "Miss Tee." Her voice took on a sickeningly sensual tone, forcing Misty to back away again.

"Please stop," Misty said. She tried to sound strong, but her voice wouldn't allow it. She no longer felt like the spiritual young woman helping a new friend. Misty felt like a small helpless creature, and V was the predator who wanted to tear her to shreds.

Letting out a small laugh, V turned around and pointed at her back. Misty didn't say anything. With V's body blocking the water, she could safely approach without getting burned. She picked up the brush, added a small dab of soap, and began to cautiously scrub V's back. At one point, Misty tried to reach around and turn down the shower temperature, but V swatted her hand away.

"All done," she said. Misty backed up to allow V to turn around again.

The green woman kept her eyes closed, letting the water flow over her. Misty didn't let her guard down, but couldn't help but see the pain hiding underneath V's hard exterior. The way her face scrunched and her body bent seemed uncomfortable. It was like she was struggling to exist within her own mind. Even an amateur spiritualist would see that V's chakras were all out of whack.

Given what little she knew about V, Misty was sure the towering woman was capable of great evil. She could only hope V decided to do great good instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why this chapter feels off to me.
> 
> All comments and crits are welcome


	4. Sleep

Lord Dominator stared at the gap in her teeth before closing her mouth into a frown. After figuring out how to use the digital mirror, she decided to inspect herself while drying off. It wasn't a pretty sight. She was missing a tooth and some of her hair had been torn out as a result of Lord Hater blowing up The World Eater. This was on top of the multiple bruises and fresh surgical scars that riddled her body. At least she was clean.

"Hey, V," Miss Tee called out. Or at least that's what Dominator thought her name was.

The woman had already redressed in her sweater and pants. On the doctor's bed, she had laid out fresh clothes. All of them seemed to be for Dominator, which bewildered the green woman. Lord Dominator shrugged off the thought, not wanting to waste Miss Tee's generosity while she could still use it.

With Miss Tee's help, Dominator got dressed. Bra and panties that fit disturbingly well, a grey t-shirt with a big, yellow X on the front, dark blue pants, and red sneakers. Despite how snug the pants were, Dominator was still able to move easily. She did wish she could have a black dress like her old one, but pants were probably better when on the move. The last piece was a navy blue, zip-up hoodie which Dominator left open.

Through the process, Miss Tee didn't seem all that scared of Dominator. After her stunt in the shower, the green woman thought her assistant would be slow and hesitant. Instead, she was efficient and smiled the whole time. There was a small tinge of fear in Miss Tee's eyes, but it was laced with something else.

Dominator's first thought was that the woman felt some kind of sympathy for her, but again shrugged it off. Lord Dominator didn't need anyone's pity. The only reason she was still hanging around was because of her injuries. As soon as she was fully healed, she was bailing on these losers.

Dominator took one last peek in the mirror before leaving with Miss Tee. She almost couldn't believe how normal she looked without makeup and armor. Gone was the intergalactic menace that committed planetary genocide purely for laughs. For the foreseeable future, she was V the common street thug.

* * *

The drugs the doctor gave her had worn off, allowing Dominator to walk around without help. She was still slow, as she would be for a while. She was just thankful to have her full wits again. Without the threat of bleeding out, Dominator could fully take in her surroundings.

The first thing she noticed was how dark the doctor's office was. It was clean, as the smell of sanitizer was ever present in the room. However, the only well-lit area was the surgical chair in the middle. Everything else was bathed in a dim blue from the sparse lighting fixtures.

It was also quite a large area, mostly open. Off in the corner was a row of lockers and a dumbbell set. She watched Jackie using the weights when she was still half out of it, but it was weird seeing them in a medical area. There was also a punching bag, so maybe the doctor was into competitive fighting?

The three locals were having a conversation that she paid no mind to, until her name was called.

"V," Jackie said, gaining her attention. "Did you…?" He held up one of her scavenged food items and pointed to her. Dominator wasn't sure what he was referring to and just raised an eyebrow.

"Food," he pointed to the package. "V," he pointed to her before making an eating gesture, "munch, munch."

Dominator wore a skeptical grin and she slowly nodded. Yes, she ate the food. Why wouldn't she? She was stranded in the desert on an unknown planet. Her confusion only grew when the doctor (Rikter or something?) let out a hearty chuckle.

"V. Look." Jackie pointed to a line of symbols on the back of the package. They were printed in black and stood out against the package's bright, neon coloring. Then he pulled out his pocket device and held it up. It displayed a similar string of symbols. Problem was that Dominator didn't have the slightest clue what the symbols represented. After receiving a very confused frown from her, Jackie explained further.

"Food. Munch, munch," he repeated the gestures before following up with a, "BLEH!" Jackie imitated a dry heaving sound while also gesturing away from his mouth. Dominator squinted at him before her eyes widened to resemble pink tea saucers.

Somehow the food had made her sick. Dominator wasn't clear on how it happened, but the food she ate before the bandit fight made her vomit. She blushed a little at the revelation, but it went away when Jackie lightly punched her arm with a reassuring grin. The two gathered her things, placing fresh clothes in one bag and bloody clothes in another, and were on their way.

The second thing Dominator noticed was how incredibly _disgusting_ the city was. The instant Jackie opened the door; she was hit by the rancid stench of smog and rotting garbage. The smell was only made worse by the contrasting sanitation of the doctor's office. Dominator felt like she was stepping out of a shower and directly into a Fallian swamp pit.

The walk to Jackie's car only made her lower her opinions more. It was too far to hold her breath, so Dominator did her best to breathe through her mouth. It didn't help. She just ended up tasting the pollution instead.

The city streets were just as sore on her eyes as they were on her nose. Everywhere you looked, litter was scattered across the ground. The uncaring people were just as disturbing. Off in a side alley was a man covered in grime and sleeping on a dirty mattress. Directly across the street from him was a pink lit building with scantily clad people dancing in the windows. Dominator assumed it was a strip club or brothel. Either way, she hated it.

As Jackie drove through the streets, Dominator was starting to wish she had landed near a different city. Advertisements were plastered on nearly every visible surface. On the buildings, on the bridge, on every single street corner. And most of them were extremely obscene.

One of the things that gave Dominator an advantage as a villain was her good looks. Lots of villains were evil geniuses with robot armies. She was smarter than all of them and hot to boot. Her sexuality gave her an extra layer of power. Dominator could use her feminine charms to lure the dumber villains into a false sense of security, removing obstacles with a fraction of the effort needed to brute force her way through. But when sex was for sale, that advantage went out the window. And in this city, it looked like everyone was buying.

The third thing she noticed was how unusually friendly people in the city could be. Or at least people from Jackie's part of the city. For one thing, Jackie was probably the nicest person Dominator had ever met, with the exception of Wander and Sylvia of course. In the couple hours that she had known him, Jackie had saved her life, taken her to a doctor, and now was giving her a place to stay. And he never stopped smiling, even after she punched him in the jaw. Jackie was Wander without the banjo and idiotic pacifism.

His neighbors were also unexpectedly kind, if a bit overly curious. As Dominator and Jackie approached his home, a group stopped them, hugging and shaking hands with the man. It wasn't long before Jackie pointed her out and tried to introduce them. She didn't bother remembering their names, or smiling for that matter. She didn't even want to shake their hands, but relented and hoped that Jackie was a good liar.

The group all smiled at her, as if trying to make her a part of their little group. Dominator just focused on not clobbering the one woman that wiggled her eyebrows at her. Instead, she tried to examine the implants these people had. All of them had something replaced, whether it was robot eyes, limbs, skin, or all of the above. And none of it seemed to serve any practical purpose beyond what a normal body was capable of. The implants were colored bright gold, red, and pearl, making it all resemble robotic jewelry more than anything actually useful like the bandits had.

Eventually, Jackie was able to shoo the posse away and lead Dominator inside his home.

"V," Jackie said. "Mama Welles," he introduced an older woman. "Mama, this is V."

Mama Welles was quick to welcome Dominator into her home. She shook the green woman's hand with both of her own before pulling Dominator into a quick, surprise hug. Dominator's annoyance at this turned to awkwardness when Mama Welles pulled back to get a good look at her. The old woman seemed to be stuck between happy amazement and terrified bewilderment. Thankfully, she stopped staring when Jackie caught her attention.

"No," Mama Welles scolded, slapping Jackie's hands away from the steaming pan on the table. The two bickered for a second before Jackie stepped away and led Dominator up the stairs

The stairs led straight into an office/storage room that had a bed in the corner. There was a single window with a desk next to it, books and papers stacked haphazardly on top. Against the opposite wall was shelving filled with boxes. It was bog standard, with the exception of a sink and mirror in the corner opposite the bed. Dominator placed down her bags and stared into the mirror, still trying to make sense of her new reflection.

"Hey, V," Jackie said. He had set up a cot for her to use, pillow and blanket neatly folded on top. "Home." He spread his arms wide, showing off his humble abode. All the posters and magazines scattered around were like an extension of him.

Dominator was pulled back to her own room, back on The World Eater. Most of her ship was built to be imposing, as all warships are. But she always had her own quiet area. A bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. It was a normal living space where she could chill and practice her less villainy hobbies. And now it was gone.

Dominator forced a smile, as to hide her grief at losing everything she held dear. Jackie didn't seem to notice anything, but she knew the dork was just being polite. He was too good at reading her.

Jackie led her back down the stairs, and Dominator found herself sitting on a couch next to him. There was a second couch where Mama Welles sat. In between was a table with a pan and three bowls. Mama served them, filling the bowls with some mix of meat, plants, and grains. Whatever it was, it was light-years beyond the packaged, barf-inducing slop Dominator ate that morning. It was even better than her own cooking, as much as she didn't want to admit it.

It was all so weird to her. A week ago, Dominator was on the verge of total galactic destruction. This morning, she had murdered and looted a bunch of bandits and laughed while doing so. Now she was sitting in a stranger's home on a strange, new planet, and the host just gave her the best meal she'd ever had. The sudden shift was giving the Dominator cognitive whiplash.

Despite her internal confusion, she played the part. Dominator would return in time. Until then, she smiled. She laughed. She played the polite house guest. For the foreseeable future, she was V the common street thug. And when she had enough pretending, Dominator would sate her bloodlust.

* * *

"Where are you from, V?" Mama asked, scooping her cazuela de arroz into the bowls.

"Uh… V doesn't know English," Jackie said. "Or Español."

"No? What about her universal translator?" Mama raised an eyebrow at her son, skeptical at best.

"Glitched out. I'm taking her back to Vik's in a week. He said she needs to heal first."

"Very well," Mama relented. She knew when her son was lying, but didn't want to press the issue just yet. She passed a bowl to V and another to Jackie. "In that case, we can say grace and-"

"Mmm. Hm mmm," V moaned, her mouth already full of rice casserole. Her eyes had gone wide as she nodded in approval of Mama's cooking.

"Given the unusual circumstances," Jackie smiled, "I think El Dios will be fine with us skipping just this once." He joined V in eating, his grin growing wider despite his mother disapproving gaze.

Throughout the meal, Mama Welles grilled Jackie about V, forcing him to share everything that happened over the last eight hours. He didn't go into too much detail, sticking to the main events: going to the Sunset Motel, V getting chased down, shooting the last Wraith, taking V to Viktor's. Mama listened intently, while V crossed her legs and glanced between the two Welles with a lost curiosity.

"So you don't know anything about her?" Mama asked.

"I know she's a good shot, and one tough chica," Jackie said.

"That's what concerns me," Mama scolded. "I don't want you dragging her into your foolish antics."

"We're not going to get into any trouble."

"Is that so? Because all you can tell me is how good of a fighter V is." Mama turned to the question and smiled. "V, dear."

"Hm?" V perked up.

"This," Mama gestured around the room, "is my home. Jackie's home. Where is your home?"

"Home?"

"Yes, V. Where is your home?"

"Uh…" V froze up for a second, glancing at Jackie. He nodded in response, as if giving her permission to answer.

"Home," V said while pointing up at the ceiling. She said it so matter-of-factly that Mama wasn't sure she understood the question. "Home," V repeated, this time looking up with a small frown.

Jackie felt his heart skip a beat. While his mother took this answer as a result of language barriers, he knew that V understood. She was too expressive, too deliberate with her answer to have misunderstood. V's home was straight up, as in outer space up. He would have to confirm it later, but Jackie saw two possible explanations. Either V was born in a corpo space lab…

… _or Vik was right._

Dinner became quiet after that. Usually, Jackie and Mama Welles would at least attempt a conversation. Today, they let any small talk fizzle out as neither trusted that the conversation wouldn't devolve into argument. It would be rude to fight in front of a guest.

After supper, Mama Welles washed the dishes while Jackie gave V a tour of the house. There wasn't much to show, given how small the Welles' family home was. Mainly, he just showed off the kitchen and bathroom. He also pointed out the door to his mother's room and made it clear that no one went in without permission.

The three congregated in the small kitchen. Mama Welles pulled three cans of beer out of the fridge, and handed one each to Jackie and V. She made small talk with her son, while V was content to stand off to the side. To Mama's amusement, V seemed confused by the beer's flavor but continued to drink it anyways. It wasn't long before V started to dose off with a stretch and loud yawn. She wandered away, leaving Jackie alone with his mother.

"Are you going to tell me what you are hiding?" Mama Welles asked, dropping the question on Jackie now that they were alone.

"Hiding? What you going on about, Mama?"

"Do not play dumb with me, Niño. I know when my son is lying to me. Out with it."

"Mama…," Jackie paused, trying to find the right words.

"You can trust me, Jackie. You know this."

"I know, Mama. It's just…" Jackie took a deep breath. "V is weird. And I don't think you would believe me if I told you."

"Try me," Mama crossed her arms and leaned back against the counter.

"Would you believe me if I told you V is a 'ganic?"

"She's green. Looks like something out of a children's cartoon."

"All 100% natural," Jackie said, forcing a grin. He was starting to think this is how Vik felt earlier.

"And how exactly is that possible?"

Jackie shrugged. "My running theory is corpo experiment."

"More conspiracy theories," Mama Welles sighed, shaking her head. "Fine. Don't tell me. I need to get over to El Coyote soon. Try not to stay up too late. I don't need your imagination running any wilder. "

* * *

Jackie marched up the stairs, fresh beer in hand. He was tempted to go out, but didn't want to leave V all alone. He decided to just read a book instead. Question was would he read Ernest Hemingway or Ian Fleming? Probably Fleming. He could use a good spy novel.

Jackie was surprised to find V awake when he reached his room. She was staring into the mirror, bouncing her right leg as if filled with anxious concentration.

"Hey, V?" Jackie said.

"Aauh!" V practically jumped out of her skin as she turned to Jackie. In her shock, she threw the marker in her hand at Jackie, hitting him in the shoulder.

"Uh, you ok?" Jackie picked up the marker. When he looked back up, V's back was to him once again. She seemed to be shaking as she stroked her mohawk. "Come on, V. Talk to me."

Jackie walked to V's side. In the mirror, he could see that the green woman had drawn lines under her sad eyes, almost resembling tears. He was a bit bewildered by this as it seemed like the kind of thing an edgy teenager would pull, not a combat hardened alien.

"V," Jackie whispered. He went to put a hand on her shoulder, but the woman quickly turned to shove him away. Jackie anticipated her move, grabbing her wrist. She struggled, but couldn't break free.

"Stop. It." Jackie looked her dead in the eye, daring V to try something.

"No. Not cool," V mumbled. She stopped struggling. Jackie let go, letting her turn back to the mirror. She began speaking in her native tongue, staring down her own reflection.

Jackie walked over to the wall of boxes and pulled out one labeled 'RAGS'. Removing two cloths, he walked back over to the sink and soaked one. V stopped talking and glared at him for his intrusion into her space, but he paid no mind.

"Come on," Jackie said, taking V's hand. He gently led her over to the cot and they both sat down. With the wet rag, Jackie began to wipe away the marker. V tried to pull away, but quickly relented, allowing Jackie to clean her face. The whole time, V mumbled and cussed at him in her own language. Once he was done, Jackie wiped away the wetness with the dry rag.

"Mama," V spat, poking Jackie in the chest. But Jackie couldn't help but laugh.

"That's right. Mama raised a real man," Jackie said. He pointed at himself with his thumb and raised a seductive eyebrow. "Jackie Welles. Ladies' Man."

V deadpan stared at him for five seconds before falling into hysterical laughter. Once she started, Jackie couldn't help but laugh along with her. After they both calmed down, V let out another loud yawn.

"Get some rest," Jackie said, patting the cot pillow. He stood up, grabbed a book from his desk, and went over to his own bed. Propped up against the wall and a cold beer at his side, Jackie began his second reading of Ian Fleming's _Thunderball_.

Everything was quiet. The only sounds were Jackie turning pages and sipping on his beer. All was right with the world. That was until V started to toss and turn in her cot. At first, Jackie just thought she was trying to get comfortable. But as she began to do it more, he began to worry. Before he could ask what was wrong, V got up and made a beeline for his bed. Then she motioned for him to soot over.

"You're not getting in this bed," Jackie said, shaking his head at her. That didn't stop V from plopping down and shoving him over with her whole body. "Seriously?! You're gonna make me spill my beer!"

Once she had enough room, V scrambled under the blankets and laid down next to him. Jackie cleared his throat, getting her to make eye contact.

"Warm enough?" Jackie asked, sarcasm dripping from his tongue.

"Hm?" V raised an eyebrow.

"Cold," Jackie pointed to his beer can and pressed it against V's cheek, drawing a whine from her. "Warm," he pressed his hand against her forehead.

"Warm," V nodded, snuggling in closer to Jackie.

"I have a girlfriend, you know," Jackie said. He wasn't the kind of guy to get into bed with a girl he just met. The position was made all the more awkward by the fact that he couldn't comfortably read his book without resting his arm on V's face.

"Warm," V repeated, not caring about Jackie's predicament.

"Careful. I might have to start calling you 'mi hermana'."

V didn't respond. She was already asleep.


End file.
